The present invention pertains to automatic feeding mechanisms for feeding stock into a machine such as feeding strip stock into a power operated press.
Automatic feeding mechanisms are available for feeding stock into a machine, as for example, the feeding mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,823 dated Feb. 4, 1975. Such feeding mechanisms are automatic in operation but must be initially adjusted for each job to obtain the correct amount of feed for each stroke of the machine and to adjust for proper gripping of the stock depending upon its thickness.
It is important that the adjustment for the length of feeding movement of the stock be accurate so that the amount of stock fed into the machine for each cycle of the feeding mechanism is precisely the specified length for the particular work operation being performed.
Moreover, the feeding mechanism operates at very high speeds and therefore has a tendency to shift out of its adjustment. It is therefore important that the mechanism be securely locked in its adjusted position.
During the feeding operation the stock passes through two pair of rollers that produce the feeding movement. One pair of rollers grips the stock and then moves forwardly to advance the stock through the second pair of rollers. The latter, in turn grip the stock to prevent it from shifting backwardly during the return movement of the first pair of rollers to their starting position. The spacing of the two rollers of each pair must be readily adjusted to accommodate the thickness of the stock being operated upon so that the feeding movement of the stock proceeds efficiently with the required accuracy.